novel

Plot Bunnies

I am in this great and terrifying space where it’s time to work on a new project. If you’re not in the writing world, you may not have heard the term “plot bunny.” Plot bunnies are those little snippets of inspiration that can hit you anywhere, at anytime. It can be as small as a character name or as big as an entire plot line. Not all of them are winners but some are. The winners are the ones that stick around, that burrow in and multiply into characters, settings, conflicts, romances, and dialogue fragments. And the time plot bunnies are most likely to strike? Right after you’ve decided what you’re going to work on next.

I had my mind and creative energy all set to work on a particular story that’s been brewing for some time. Then two days ago I was hit with a plot bunny. Last night another one hit me. The two merged and became twice as persistent. As I sat down to begin the plotted story, I found myself instead making an inspiration playlist for the mutated plot bunnies. Where do I go from here? Do I follow my plan and write the book whose sheen has dulled a little? Or do I follow this shiny new idea and see where it leads? The shiny idea that is multiplying so quickly it almost a full fledged outline.

Meanwhile there are all the other ideas I’ve been holding onto for years. All of these partial stories hanging out on my computer, waiting for my return. Some of them have a few chapters, some are over a third of the way written. Now that I know the time and investment writing a book entails I am lost on where to go next. What will be the next thing I pour my creative energy into? What story can I stand to work on for the next few months or years?

I don’t expect an answer. There aren’t absolutes and facts in the writing process. It’s all about taking risks, jumping and hoping there’s a parachute. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn’t. But like the masochists we are, we jump anyway.

Truths

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

Here’s the truth – writing a book is hard.

To quote The Princess Bride, “Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”

The same can said for writing a book. Writing a book is pain, anyone who says differently is probably trying to sell you a sure fire formula to writing a novel in a week or some other nonsense like that.

But here’s the other truth, writing a novel is one of the most amazing, incredible, fulfilling things you can do. So yeah, I’ll keep writing. Even when I’m pretty sure I’ll delete the whole thing later.

Otherwise how will I get all these characters out of my head?

Thank god for readers and editors, one of whom pointed out that I accidentally renamed one of my characters Bret Michaels instead of Brett Jacobs part way through the manuscript. How embarrassing would that have been? Also definitely the wrong vibe for our lovable hero.

Stuff I’ve Done – The Outtakes

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

I have managed to spill coffee on myself, my couch, my afghan, or my floor every day for the past three months. I’m not even surprised anymore.
I finished my NaNoWriMo challenge with 2 days to spare! The last week was tough because what I thought was the midpoint was actually the climax and the whole book needs to be rewritten from that scene onward. So I wrote down how I want to do the rewrite then wrote some fun scenes with the characters. Like fan fic of my own fic. Now the whole thing is simmering until I decide to pick it up again.
I got over the half way hurdle with the line edits on my novel. Now that there’s some semblance of an end in sight, the editing is going far more smoothly. One for the win column.
The Christmas movie watching obsession has officially begun! I’ve been watching them for weeks already but it wasn’t official until December 1st. Some of these movies I’ve seen a dozen times and watching them is like meeting old friends. And not the ones you’d assume. Oh I watch the classics – It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Elf, Love Actually…but the ones that I most look forward to? The ABC Family Originals. Particularly the ones with the insane plot lines and actors who used to be singers (or models or child TV stars). My end goal here is to some day have a list of the 25 absolute best Christmas movies ever, all defended with brilliant examples and screen shots.
I make my bed every morning and tell myself that it’s basically the same thing as having a clean house.
Of course I’ve been reading A LOT. I have a stack of books to share and I hope to get caught up before the year is out. I started two new reading challenges for myself – my own personalized 100 Books to Read Before You Die list (all the classics I feel I might not hate) and a list of romance authors to read before the next RT convention. More on these later. Also look for my list of the top books I’ve read this year – that’ll be showing up sometime around December 31st.
And now I’ve got another book to plan because why have one book project going when you can have three?

Where Did You Go?

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

The simplest answer? NaNoWriMo.

The most complex answer involves me taking on too many activities and jobs and overthinking everything and generally feeling like I’m in over my head.

But really it’s NaNo. I’m dedicating all of my writing hours to putting in words on my new, untitled novel. I just pass 27,000 words today and so far the ideas just keep coming. It’s more personal than my first book. That one I wrote because I wanted to see if I could. This one I’m writing because I can’t get it out of my head.

Some may call it distraction or multi-tasking or being non-committal to have two novels going. I just call it following my creative impulse.

Spooky Weird Stuff

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

In this edition of “There’s Some Weird Stuff Out There,” I’m getting in the Halloween spirit. Now there are a lot of directions I could go with this – you would not believe the sort of weird, spooky paranormal stuff there is out there. But instead of going zombie or ghosts or vampires, today I’m talking about shapeshifters. Not werewolves – at this point werewolves are a bit blasé, don’t you think? Without further ado I give you…

WerePanther –

Eat Prey Love by Kerrelyn Sparks

WereTiger –

Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston

WereBear –

Bear Necessities by Isadora Montrose

WereWyr –

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

WerePumas –

The Wallflower by Dana Marie Bell

EVEN WereHoney Badger –

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston

And SO many more. Almost all dangerous, predatory creatures are represented. Except for sea creatures. Where are the were-sharks? The were-shark and the mermaid. Just imagine.

Love a Good List

1 Comment / By celiamulder42@gmail.com

This past Sunday I finished the first draft of my novel (yeah!). The moment I wrote those words “the end,” I felt sad, like losing my best friend sad. I love first drafts, that’s why I start and abandon so many of them. BUT, if there is ever to be a final draft or a published book, there will have to be a second draft (and probably a third, fourth, maybe fifth draft). I need something to help me get into this second draft business and what usually works best for my motivation is a good list. So here we go:

Things I Will Do Now I’ve Finished the First Draft

Remind myself that the dirty dishes in the sink are not a sign that I’m failing at life.
Ditto the pile of laundry.
Clear and organize my desk – a clean desk means a clear mind (or some nonsense like that).
Organize my notes because there are a lot of them – some on the computer, some on a legal pad, and the really good ones on the backs of old receipts.
Get some moral support. Stat.
Ditto a writing group. If these two things could co-exist as one (my writing group provides said moral support) that would be the ideal.
Do NOT fall into the black hole of procrastination caused by work, television, the internet (particularly YouTube videos), toxic friends, guilt over the messiness of my apartment, food, and even, occasionally, books.
Post inspirational collage over desk to remind me why I’m doing this (why am I doing this? Figure that out first).
Perhaps some actual editing. In cupcake sized pieces. Otherwise I try to eat the whole cake at once, get sick, and never want to eat cake ever again.
Find and eat some cake.

If You Can’t Keep Your Own Goals…

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

I have a Sunday tradition. Every Sunday, around mid-afternoon or so, I sit down with my paper planner and I sketch out my week. All the appointments I scheduled and forgot, all the shifts from my two jobs, all the extras I took on months ago and also forgot.

This week when I sat down to write it all out, I found my book draft is supposed to be done by this Sunday, the 6th. A few months ago I laid out my goals over the next year, milestones for how I would finish not just this draft but all the editing, more editing, and still more editing. I gave myself 10 weeks to write the rest of the draft. 10 weeks seemed like forever to me. At the rate I’m going, I thought to myself, I’ll be done in 5.

Then work happened and vacations and family events and summer. And then I was down from 10 weeks to 1. There was no way I could have it done in time. Not with my schedule.Absolutely no way!

Then I thought, if I can’t keep my own goals what was the point of making them? What good am I when I can’t keep a promise to myself?

It came out harsh but the idea, the nugget of inspiration if you will, was good. If I am going to have this book done by next spring, it had to start with keeping my first goal to myself. So I re-arranged some stuff and decided the dishes in the sink could wait a bit more. I wrote Tuesday evening when I got out of work and this morning before I left. I have one scene left to write Sunday. One scene. A couple thousand words at most. The goal is so close I can smell the printer ink.

A Shout-Out and An Update Walk Into A Bar

1 Comment / By celiamulder42@gmail.com

And I have no punchline to that joke. Oh well.

The shout-out goes to my stalwart reader and #1 fan (according to her, though I’m apt to agree) Anna! She reminded me today that I haven’t blogged in a while and she missed my posts. Aw, thanks Anna!

Now for the update.

Work on the book has been going well for two days now! My intense July writing schedule fizzled out around the time I went camping for a week and didn’t write for a week. Then I spent another two weeks catching up with all that life stuff that piles up when you go on vacation. Now I’m finally back on schedule and ready to finish this draft!

I am about writing the way other people are about exercise. If I haven’t written in a while, I feel stressed, anxious, depressed, and annoyed. I get really worked up about where my life is heading and how each day is nothing but meaningless monotony. When I do write, even on the days where the writing is bad or hard or excruciatingly hard, I feel better. I feel energized. I feel like, whatever else happens in the day, I can handle it because I’ve written. That, above all else, is why I write.

Sometimes What You Need is a Kick in the Pants

By celiamulder42@gmail.com

I’ve been working on this being-a-serious-writer thing for a few months now. I tell everyone to leave me alone! I have to get some serious writing done! (Serious meaning committed here. I write comedy). Only I haven’t actually been writing, apart from blog posts, journaling, and an occasional book review. My novel languishes, the first chapter written to death and the rest in desolate neglect.

What I need is a kick in the pants. Something to jump start this whole novel. CPR for half finished books. And, while zoning out on the internet (“working”) I found just that thing! A writing convention.

Of course! It’s so simple. Every conference I go to leaves me rejuvenated, refreshed, and ready to churn out some pages. Only this isn’t a two day conference near my hometown. Oh no, this is the big time. The Romantic Times Booklovers Convention in Dallas – almost a full week of workshops, parties, pitches, and more parties, some with costumes.

I gleefully took the first step and registered. Apparently I am super late and the main hotel is sold out and the backup hotel only had one option left but I am staying positive that it’ll all work out somehow! My writing won’t know what hit it.